


Stuck in a Coffee Shop (With You)

by SilverMoonSky



Series: Adrinette April 2020 [24]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien and Marinette haven't met each other before now, Adrinette April 2020, Aged-Up Character(s), Awkward Conversations, Awkwardness, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, No miraculous AU, University AU, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23884519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMoonSky/pseuds/SilverMoonSky
Summary: “Hey,” Adrien said quietly, putting a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “wake up.”She mumbled something and turned her head away from him. He shook her shoulder a little harder. She finally looked up, blinking lazily at him.“Luka?” She murmured. Her eyes were still half-closed.Adrien smiled politely at her. “Sorry, I’m not Luka.”The girl suddenly seemed to have realized where she was. She yelped and jumped away from him, accidentally knocking over one of her cups of coffee that was still partially full. It spilled all over the floor and on Adrien’s--extremely white--shoes. He winced. It had taken a while for him to save up enough money to buy those.Written for Day 27: Naps for Adrinette April.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Adrinette April 2020 [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685854
Comments: 34
Kudos: 201





	1. Chapter 1

Adrien was staring eagerly at the time, waiting for the clock to strike ten. It was his last shift on a Friday night. After that, he could close up the shop, get home, take a nice long shower, curl up with Plagg on the couch, and watch a couple of his favorite Netflix shows. It would be the perfect way to relax after the long week he’d had.

With finals just around the corner, Adrien had spent most of his time studying, and it didn’t help that he had to work part-time at the shop to make ends meet. Not that he minded. He loved the shop and seeing new faces every single day. It was certainly a drastic change from his modeling days. People still recognized him, of course, but ever since he’d decided to make his own decisions and not-so-subtly cut his father out of his life, more people paid attention to the  _ real _ him rather than the image he’d conjured up of himself while working for the Gabriel brand. It felt nice, and he loved it.

As it drew closer and closer to ten, the few people in the coffee shop gradually started to leave. Adrien began to tidy up for the night. He hummed to himself as he mopped the floors and cleaned off the tables, just ready to take his apron off when he saw one of the tables in the corner was still occupied.

He frowned and checked the time; it was nine fifty. He walked over to the occupied table. If he wanted to close the shop on time, he would have to kindly ask the person to leave.

Adrien opened his mouth to say that it was closing time when he realized the person there seemed to be taking a nap. It was a girl about his age, with dark hair that was messily splayed across her shoulders. She was slumped over her laptop with her arms cradling her head, and there were several books stacked off to the side. A few coffee cups also littered the table.

If he had to guess, he assumed she was also a student who had finals soon. It made him a little more sympathetic; he could definitely relate to that. She probably hadn’t slept properly in days.

“Hey,” Adrien said quietly, putting a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “wake up.”

She mumbled something incomprehensive and turned her head away from him. He shook her shoulder a little harder. She finally looked up, blinking lazily at him.

“Luka?” She murmured. Her eyes were still half-closed.

Adrien smiled politely at her. “Sorry, I’m not Luka.”

The girl suddenly seemed to have realized where she was. She yelped and jumped away from him, accidentally knocking over one of her cups of coffee that was still partially full. It spilled all over the floor and on Adrien’s-- _ extremely _ white--shoes. He winced. It had taken a while for him to save up enough money to buy those.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” She exclaimed, her eyes widening in horror when she saw the state of his shoes.

“It’s okay,” Adrien said, still smiling before he quickly realized he was doing so on instinct, and that the smile wasn’t genuine. He quickly fixed that. “I should be able to clean it up.”

“I’ll help you,” the girl said. She got up and walked towards the bathroom. When she came back, she had wet paper towels in her hand. She gave them to him. “Here,” she said. “These should help for the time being.” She then grabbed the mop and started wiping the floor where the coffee had spilled.

“You don’t have to do that,” Adrien said. He sat down and bent over to wipe his shoes. The stains were still there, but he would have to figure out another way to fix that.

“It’s the least I can do,” she said. There was clearly an air of guilt surrounding her. “I’m so sorry I ruined your shoes.”

“It’s okay,” Adrien reassured her. “I understand. I know you’ve probably had a stressful week.”

She cocked her head. “How did you know that?”

He gestured at her table. “You’re a university student, I assume? Finals are coming up soon.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “There’s that. I’ve been studying most of the time and working on designs--I’m a fashion major--and it’s really taken a toll on my sleeping schedule. And my boyfriend and I also recently broke up because of other issues, so that’s been really hard too, and--” she suddenly broke off, seeming sheepish. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be ranting about my problems to someone I’ve just met.”

“What’s your name?” Adrien asked.

The girl stopped mopping the floor and looked up at him. “What?”

“I’m Adrien,” he said, holding out his hand. “What about you?”

“I’m Marinette,” she said. She shook his hand. “And I already know who you are. I mean! You know, because well, I’m a fashion major, and your father is Gabriel Agreste, and I really love his designs and am a huge fan of his work, and I--” she let out a groan. “Sorry. I did it again.”

Adrien laughed. “Well, I guess I’m not a total stranger to you then.”

Marinette smiled awkwardly. “You could say that.”

Silence fell between them as Marinette continued to mop the floor and Adrien walked over to throw away the paper towels. He stared at his shoes ruefully. He’d have to figure out a way to get rid of those stains, though in reality, he was sure they wouldn’t come out. Oh well. They were nice shoes while they lasted.

“So,” Adrien cleared his throat, “do you wanna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?”

“Your breakup,” he said, taking the mop from her. “Or your finals, or whatever you seem to be stressed about.”

“Oh!” Marinette glanced at him in surprise. “Um, I uh, wouldn’t want to bother you. . . .” she trailed off.

Normally, Adrien wasn’t one to pry. It was a Friday night, and his couch and TV at home were calling him. Yet there was something about Marinette that intrigued him. She was a fashion student, but unlike most of the people in the fashion industry that aspired to catch his father’s attention, she hadn’t immediately jumped on the “oh my gosh you’re Adrien Agreste” train. Instead, she only mentioned it when he brought it up. And even then, she hadn’t gushed over his modeling career; the only thing she’d talked about was his father and how she admired his designs. She’d treated him how she would’ve treated any other employee that was in his position. She hadn’t raised unnecessary standards or put him on a pedestal.

She’d treated him like he was his own person. Adrien could name on one hand the number of people that had done that before.

Looking into her bluebell eyes, he couldn’t help but feel like she was holding in a lot of frustration. Especially if he was taking into consideration her ranting from earlier. Despite knowing her for only several minutes, he could gauge that Marinette was a pretty open and friendly person. And if something was bothering her. . . . well, he was compelled to listen.

“I know I don’t know you that well,” Adrien admitted, “but something seems to be bothering you. And earlier, you thought I was someone named Luka, who I’m assuming was your boyfriend?”

“Yeah.” Marinette sighed. “And there’s not really much to it. We’re just two people who’ve grown apart over the years. It was a mutual breakup, and we both thought it was for the best.”

“Oh.” Adrien nodded. The same thing had happened to him and Kagami about a year ago. They still occasionally kept in touch, but it was clear their lives had veered off onto very different paths.

“And then I guess I’m frustrated with the designs I’m working on for one of my finals,” she said, grabbing one of her books. He suddenly realized that the stack of books was actually a pile of sketchbooks. “I just can’t seem to get it right. I’ve already started stitching the dress but there’s something that’s missing, and I don’t know what else I can do.” She flipped through the pages, then suddenly stopped and checked the time. It was nearly a quarter past ten. “Oh I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize the time. . . .”

“It’s fine.” Adrien gave her a small smile. “I don’t mind.”

Marinette frowned. “Are you sure? I’m sure you have other things you want to do. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“They can wait; it’s not like I have much to do when I get home anyways.” Lies. But it was okay. He could give up a few hours of his Netflix time if it meant helping her. “Maybe I could help you with the design? I’m no fashion major, but I have picked up a couple of things in the past few years.”

She seemed hesitant, but conceded when Adrien sat down and motioned for her to join him. “If you don’t mind. . . .”

“Of course I don’t,” he said.

Marinette sat down across from him. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “This means a lot to me.”

Adrien felt his face burn. Luckily she didn’t notice, seeming engrossed in her sketchbook.

The two of them ended up spending a decent amount of time together at the shop. Adrien gave Marinette some advice, and she was able to work on improving those designs, all the while getting to know each other. By the time he got up to close the shop, it was nearly eleven. Plagg would probably be annoyed he hadn’t been fed yet, but that was okay. That cat ate too much for his own good anyways.

Marinette was gathering her things into her bag as Adrien took his apron off and got out the keys. “Thanks for your help today,” she said. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without it.”

“It’s the least I can do for a friend,” Adrien said, smiling.

“Friend?” Marinette inquired.

“Yeah, a friend.” Adrien rubbed his hand awkwardly against the back of his neck. “I mean, if you want it to be that way, that is.”

“That would be great,” she said, her cheeks slightly pink.

He took out his phone, unlocked it, and held it out to her. “Wanna exchange numbers?”

“Sure.” She handed him her phone, and he quickly typed in his number and saved it under his name before giving it back to her.

Marinette smiled at him before walking towards the door. “See you later, Adrien.”

“See you around, Marinette,” Adrien said, waving at her.

He let out a long sigh as soon as she left and was out of sight. He smiled. It would be nice to get to know her. Marinette seemed like a wonderful person, and she seemed like she’d be an amazing friend.

(If only he knew.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I could turn this into a full fledged fic if I wanted to (and I would _love_ to), but for the time being, this is staying as a oneshot. However, I could add a second chapter to this instead and make it a twoshot, which would be a lot easier. Though I have no idea what I'd do. So if you have any ideas, let me know!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter how much Adrien insists that Marinette doesn't need to pay him back, she can't help but feel guilty that she ruined his expensive shoes. So she decides to take matters into her own hands.
> 
> Written for Day 28: Care Package for Adrinette April.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this chapter came from somanyfandomfeels in the comments (though many of you also had similar suggestions). Thank you so much! :)

Weeks later, Marinette still felt guilty about ruining Adrien’s shoes.

Why hadn’t she done anything about it beforehand, you may ask? Well, to be fair, she’d only figured out a couple of days ago that the stains never came out. Adrien didn’t bother to tell her because he knew she would try and fix the problem. Which apparently, was the last thing he wanted. He explained to her that the shoes were a reminder of how they met, which was why despite them being expensive, he didn’t mind that she ruined them. Which was sweet. Really. Marinette was sure no other person in their right mind would ever think about the situation like that.

But it still frustrated her to pieces. After all, she ruined shoes that were _extremely_ expensive. Marinette knew that no matter how many shifts she worked and commissions she took, she _still_ wouldn’t be able to cover the cost for those shoes for a long time. Which was a problem. She tried shrugging it off, but the issue continued to be on her mind even when she went over to Adrien’s apartment for the first time to hang out.

Marinette put her controller down after yet another match of Ultimate Mecha Strike III (which she won, obviously). She grinned triumphantly. “See, I won! Now are you sure you don’t want me to--”

“ _Marinette,_ ” Adrien sighed, “we’ve already gone through this. I don’t care about the shoes.”

She pouted. “But I--”

“ _No._ ”

“Fine.” Marinette let out a groan. “You’re so stubborn.”

“No, you’re the stubborn one,” Adrien said. “I’ve already told you several times that you don’t need to replace the shoes for me.”

“It’s the least I could do.” Marinette gestured to Plagg, who was circling the area where the two of them were sitting. The cat hesitantly came up to her, and she held out a hand to stroke his fur. He purred, moving closer to her and settling in her lap.

Adrien eyed his cat with suspicion. “Well, I don’t mind. And how did you get Plagg to warm up to you so easily?”

She shrugged. “I guess I’m a natural,” she said. “Besides, I’ve had Tikki for longer than you’ve had Plagg.”

“I’d love to meet her someday.” He glanced ruefully at his own cat. “I bet your cat’s an angel.”

“Plagg’s an angel too,” Marinette protested as she stroked the black cat’s fur.

He scoffed. “You clearly haven’t known him for that long. Trust me, he’s anything _but_ innocent.”

“Well either way, I think he’d get along very well with Tikki.” Marinette smiled at the cat on her lap. “Wouldn’t you, Plagg?”

Plagg purred.

Adrien rolled his eyes. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered.

With that, Marinette took her mind off the ruined shoes for the rest of the evening. They continued their game of Ultimate Mecha Strike III (which she continued to win, obviously), all the while laughing with big grins on their faces. She and Adrien ended up having dinner together, and before long, it was time for her to leave.

Adrien had excused himself to go to the bathroom as she began to grab her things and place them in her bag when she remembered the shoes.

“I still don’t know what to do about those,” she muttered. Plagg came up to her and brushed against her legs. “I mean, if I could, I would just take them, but I can’t--” she broke off as an idea came to mind. Surely what she was about to do wouldn’t hurt, right?

Quickly making sure her friend was still in the bathroom, Marinette walked over to his apartment door and peeked inside the closet that was nearby. In there, she saw a shoe box with a familiar logo. A quick glance inside the box confirmed they were the same shoes the coffee had stained. She grinned.

“Perfect,” she said. She grabbed the box and started to stuff it into her bag. Plagg suddenly hissed when he saw what he was doing. Marinette narrowed her eyes at him. “Relax. I’m doing this for your owner. He’ll like it, I promise.”

“Marinette? What’re you doing?” Adrien asked.

“Adrien!” She hastily shoved the rest of the box into her bag and stood up, slinging it over her shoulder. “I um, was tying my shoes!”

“Oh, okay,” he said. Marinette prayed he didn’t notice she was actually wearing flats. “I assume you’re leaving now?”

“Yeah, I have some commissions for work on,” she said.

Adrien smiled. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

Marinette nodded. “I’ll stop by the shop in the evening. See you later!”

“Bye Mari,” Adrien said, and with that, she stepped out of the apartment door and closed it behind her.

“Phew,” she breathed as she walked out of the building, humming to herself. “That was a close one.”

The “commission” Marinette ended up working on Sunday night involved fixing up Adrien’s shoes. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out what to do with them, and after she quickly fed Tikki, she soon was grabbing all of her spare paint brushes and paints. Marinette smiled and set herself to work.

Several hours of painting later, she was gazing at her work in satisfaction. The shoes had come out rather nicely; though painting wasn’t necessarily her strong suit, the designs she made definitely covered the coffee stains. That was all that really mattered. Marinette placed the shoes to the side to dry as she got ready for bed, a single thought running through her mind.

Adrien was going to love this.

**MONDAY 8:54 AM**

**Adrien:** Hey Mari, good morning!

 **Marinette:** Good morning to you too! :)

 **Adrien:** Did you take my coffee stained shoes when you were at my apartment yesterday by any chance?

 **Marinette:** What?! No I didn’t!

 **Adrien:** I thought I told you that you didn’t need to replace them.

 **Marinette:** Well I’m not gonna replace them.

 **Adrien:** Then what are you doing?

 **Marinette:** It’s a surprise :D

 **Adrien:** Please don’t pay anything for them. I already told you I don’t mind.

 **Marinette:** No worries. You’ll see!

 **Adrien:** I’ll take your word for it. Please don’t do anything you’ll regret.

 **Marinette:** Do you not have any faith in me? :(

 **Adrien:** Of course I do. You’re just so impulsive sometimes.

 **Marinette:** :D

 **Marinette:** I’ll stop by the coffee shop to give you the shoes. When’s your break?

 **Adrien:** My shift ends at six.

 **Marinette:** Great, I’ll see you then!

 **Adrien:** Ttyl :)

“Who’re you texting?” Alya asked when she saw Marinette grinning at her phone.

“Adrien,” she replied, taking a bite of her breakfast.

Her roommate smirked. “Sunshine boy again? Does it have anything to do with the shoes you stole from him yesterday?”

Marinette nearly choked on her food.

“Ah, so it does.”

Marinette swallowed. “How did you know about that?”

“I saw them on your bed last night when you went to shower,” Alya said. “I thought you told me he didn’t want you fixing them.”

“He doesn’t,” Marinette said.

Alya cocked her head. “So then what did you do? Steal them?” Her eyes widened when Marinette’s only response was to stare sheepishly at her. “ _No,_ you did not.”

Her best friend shrugged. “It was the only way I could pay him back.”

Alya grinned. “You definitely like this guy.”

“I do not!” Marinette shoved the rest of her croissant in her mouth and swallowed. “He’s just a friend.”

“I see that blush, girl.” Alya jerked her thumb at the box that Adrien’s shoes were currently in. “If he was just a friend, why would you go out of your way to pack everything in that box like it was a care package?”

“It’s not like that,” Marinette said.

“Are you _sure_?” Alya asked teasingly. “Because it sure sounds like it.”

Marinette stood up and shoved the box in her bag. “I’m just trying to be nice,” she mumbled quietly.

Alya’s tone softened when she saw her friend’s discomfort. “You know it’s okay to have feelings for someone else, right? It’s been a while since you and Luka broke up. It’s okay to move on, Mari.”

“I know,” Marinette said. “I just. . . . we’re just friends, Alya. And I’d rather keep it that way.”

( _For now,_ whispered the voice in her head.

Marinette ignored that thought.)

Alya nodded and didn’t say anything. They left the topic at that.

Several hours later, Marinette was standing in front of the same coffee shop where she and Adrien had first met all those weeks ago. She found it all a little surreal, honestly. Just a little while ago, the two of them had been strangers to one another, but now? They were friends. They had their own inside jokes, were comfortable enough to tease one another, spent plenty of time together, and all in all, were extremely close. All because of the fateful day she accidentally spilled coffee on his shoes.

Sometimes, Marinette wondered if everything had gone too fast. After all, they spent so much time together, it had gotten to the point where Alya was constantly asking her what their friendship _really_ was like. But it wasn’t like that. Adrien was just a friend that she got along insanely well with; they just clicked, and that was it. There was nothing more to their friendship than that.

“Hey Mari!” Adrien said cheerfully as she walked in and sat down at her usual table. He had untied his apron and sat down across from her.

“Hey,” Marinette said with a smile. “I have your shoes for you.”

“About that.” He frowned. “I thought I told you--”

“ _I know_ ,” Marinette interrupted. “But trust me. I didn’t spend any money on these.”

Adrien cocked his head, confused. “Then what did you do with them?”

She placed the box on the table and slid it over to him. “See for yourself.”

Intrigued, Adrien took off the lid and looked into the box. He let out a delighted gasp when he saw his shoes. “Mari, are these really the same shoes that had coffee stains on them?”

Marinette smiled, clearly pleased with her handiwork. “Yup.”

Adrien examined them. She’d painted the shoes black with green accents. To him, it was clear that the black had been used to cover the stains, and then she’d used the green to make the color pop. But to anyone else. . . . they looked just like normal shoes.

“Thank you so much.” Adrien was grinning from ear-to-ear. “You’re amazing, Marinette.”

She felt her cheeks heat up. “Of course,” she said. “It’s the least I could do for a friend.”

 _A friend._ Marinette quite liked the sound of that. She was perfectly fine with their friendship; for now, she wasn’t sure if she wanted anything more than what they had.

And she planned to keep it that way.


End file.
